One Things

For years I have taught art appreciation at the college level. Students who take this class are not art majors but it is a requirement for most of the other majors offered. In general, students who are required to take classes do not generally have the same interest that they have in their core classes. They must take the course, but generally without passion.

As the instructor I always try my best to cover the material in engaging ways. One of the things that has bothered me over the years is the waste of classroom time by taking role. We must take role but it just takes a lot of time. I’ve tried a sign in sheet but it has some problems built in to the process.

Finally, I tried a simple trick. I asked the students to submit a short note on a slip of paper with their signature. The note was the answer to my question on the blackboard. “Tell me about one thing that you have learned this week”. I could then use the signatures in my role taking, and I would also be able to track some of the important things covered in my lesson plans. This has mostly worked out, although sometimes I have received answers like, “I learned how to set up my X-Box.” Or “I learned that I can also start my car in neutral as well as park!”

The following list is a collection of “one things”, statements written by students in Art 116 Sp07/Fa07 semesters that expresses “one thing I’ve learned this week”. Sometimes exciting, sometimes funny, always insightful, they have been edited only slightly, keeping the flavor of the thought. In some cases the statement is “incorrect” factually, but I have left the statement in, and corrected the student’s concept. All in all it is a pretty remarkable collection of ideas, and summarizes the semester in an interesting way.

One thing I’ve learned is that art can be anything you want it to be. I had always thought art to come from a painting, sculpture, or structure, but this class taught me that I can capture it just by making a box with my hands. Art can be looking out the window and seeing a little kid on his/her bike. I learned that art is something that brings out emotion in a person.

One fact that I’ve learned this week was of great interest towards me. The fact was about the Greeks. I believe it interested me the most because I myself am half Greek. What I learned was that the Greeks honored liars, that the liars were heroes to them. Among all the liars Odysseus was one of the greatest liars. [Maybe that is why I am such a great liar] (Just kidding).

One thing I learned was the different way to draw. When you showed us the box with the bull in it, I thought it was interesting. I am not good at drawing but if I were to use the boxes I think I’d do a lot better.

One thing I learned this week was that Dada posters stimulated layout designs for magazines.

The one thing I learned this week that caught my attention was about how the fashion was to wear beaver hats that were made with its skin & fur. The mountain men were killing the beavers so they could stay in the mountains. When the fashion changed, the mountain men were out of a job, so they became guides.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec would have been a poor artist, but his father gave him an allowance so that he wouldn’t be poor. Also, that his family was almost royalty.

I learned that a bokeh is the background in photography, which is not focused. I never knew that it was called that. I have taken photography for 4 years and I was never taught that.

I was interested to learn that it was the Aryans who, when they invaded India, brought with them the Vedic traditions that I associate with Indian culture.

One thing I learned about the many “scientific” innovations that contributed to realism or the illusion of reality that developed during the Renaissance. For example, linear perspective, atmospheric perspective, fore shortening, color and shading.

I learned that in the early 15th century there was an explosion in painting that saw a radical improvement in realism, detail, and accurate perspective. I also learned that Humanism changed the content of paintings from strongly religious subjects to an increasing focus on the details of daily life even in paintings with a religious subject.

I learned that the discovery of a well-preserved Roman city, Pompeii, spurred the revival of interest in Greek + Roman art that became Neoclassicism.

I learned that the 1800s saw a radical change in the social status of artists from respected, professional, craftspeople to poor, alternative individuals often living on the fringes of society. I was interested to learn that it was the Aryans who, when they invaded India, brought with them the Vedic traditions that I associate with Indian culture.

My favorite “one thing” of the semester was giving me the ability to think ”outside the box”. Being in this art class has taught me to look beyond what is given to me that is exactly the skill that is needed to “appreciate” art. Art is something created by an artist, with or without a purpose, and the viewer sees what goes beyond what is being “seen”. Not only did I learn about the history of art and how to “appreciate” art, but also I learned a lot about myself. I learned to be more open-minded and eliminated the boundaries of my creative thinking.

My second favorite “one thing” was just learning about all the different kinds of art and being able to see the pieces that actual students created. I think it was interesting seeing some paintings that I’ve seen before and actually learning more about its history and creator.

The one thing I learned this week was how the human brain turns colors and different perspectives of a picture into something3-D its amazing that everything we see is actually upside down until our brain turns it right-side up.

The one thing I learned in art this week was that painters could not use models, so they had to rely on the mirrored image of themselves or drawings or sculptures for the human anatomy. It must have been difficult since they didn’t get the opportunity to use live models, since everyone is shaped differently.

The one thing I learned in art this week was the influence of linear perspective. It is a lot more technical than I thought yet very interesting at the same time.

My favorite “one thing” of the semester was learning about the modern art period. Before this class I did not recognized modern art works. I didn’t know that posters were art.

My second favorite one thing of the semester was learning to distinguish artists, periods & styles of art.<p>
The one thing that I learned this week is that a Netsuke is a ball of lead with carvings. The Japanese used it as a weight to keep purses from slipping off the belt.

The one thing that I learned this week is that all paintings drawings and images created on flat surface are 2D, but some give the illusion of 3D because of the usage of color, atmosphere, foreshortening, and perspective.

The one thing I learned was that the era of the Renaissance ended in the 1500’s after the sack of Rome.

The one thing that I learned this week is that Photography was so slow that it couldn’t capture motion.

The one thing I’ve learned this week is how risqué some of the Hindu sculptures are. It’s interesting how they express and focus on the importance of sexuality, but within the context of marriage. It’s amazing how you can walk through a courtyard and see a sexy woman standing in a seductive pose and with tremendous sex appeal.

Honestly I’m very behind on my reading but this is a state that will be corrected as soon as possible. From the lecture I have relearned a few things like the name Renaissance and its origin. I’ve relearned the concept of atmospheric perspective and how dark colors recede and bright colors look like they pop out at you.

The one thing I learned this week is how much the fashion of the day influenced all aspects of life. Fashion played a key role in economy as well as art.

I learned the change in social class of artist. I saw how artists went from celebrity type figures to beat necks. Artists started off being praised and appreciated and are now looked down on.

The one thing I learned that I found very interesting is how the eye interprets picture and things like TV, movies and cartoons.

The one thing that I learned this week was about how Indians in southern India are darker skinned, because they were forced down into southern India. I also learned about how sexual the art is in some Indian temples.

The one thing that I learned this week was about camera obscura and how that was how the idea of the camera first started. I think it is really cool that the person acted as the film and drew the picture.

The one thing I’ve learned this week is that Buddha had the greatest impact on Chinese art. Although, Buddha was actually an Indian prince. These words of Buddha turned into a religion, Buddhism. Again art starts with religion. All by way of the human characteristics. Psychology and art so closely related. —

Albert Durer, self portrait. This is the one I remember.

The one thing I learned today that some of the great painters of the renaissance user the technique of line perspective to change the two-dimensional view into three-dimensional. It is really astonishing how this technique works. Starting at the front of the paint and then the lines began to recede into the foreground this technique puts the view into the moment of that painting. And of course once the color is added to the painting becomes real.

The one thing I learned this week was that one of America’s original borderlines ended near St. Louis. Because of these mountain men America is now the vast continent that it is today.

My one favorite thing this semester is the art journals. I have learned there is a lot of art right in front of your face. There is no need to look for it because every day in the life you will spot a brief second of art that someone who does not appreciate art will not recognize it. Art is everywhere just not on canvas, but it may not be art to others, but maybe to someone else.

My second favorite “one thing” is learning about Michelangelo. His paintings just blew me away. I’ve seen an imitation of his picture before, but I did not know Michelangelo made the original. His Last Judgment piece gave me more information and helped me put things together. I was able to have a talk to someone about Michelangelo and the other renaissance artists.

The one thing that I learned this week was about Bokeh. It means the quality of unfocused elements. The background of a picture is important to a picture because even just the background can make a picture good or bad.

The 1 thing I learned was that artist pretty much tried some of their paintings by using imaginary boxes. They helped an artist produce a great portrait of a person.

The one thing I learned this week is that respect means to re-look. It is to look again as something or someone. Artists force people to respect their art and if they don’t then the viewer has no respect for the piece. Artists make their art so people will look at it twice or more times instead of looking at it once and passing by.

The one thing I learned is that the 1st photograph of a person was an accident. A photographer was taking a picture of a park and accidentally took a picture of a man getting his shoes polished.

The one thing I learned was that we really see things upside down but our brain flips the images over for us. That’s real fascinating.

The one thing that I learned this week is that in the baroque period there was not much or any negative space
The one thing I learned was that Dante was the first great Italian poet.

The one thing that I learned this week is that you can say that some art is crappy. Everyone has their own opinion and not everyone has to agree that that type of art is art.

The one thing I’ve learned is something that helped refreshed my memory … a vanishing point on a picture, which helps adds definition and 3-dimension.

Another thing I’ve learned was Achilles’ Heel; I had a feeling it had a lot to do with the history behind Achilles, but I never knew exactly what it meant… It was his weak spot, where he got shot, his heel… No wonder my aunt said that her lover injured his “Achilles’ heel” while playing tennis J … Ouch!

The one thing I learned was that DaVinci’s last supper was a failure because he experimented with tempera & stucco not a good combo for art. I didn’t know that a famous picture, The Last Supper, was such a failure, but it somewhat stood the test of time.!! Somewhat!

I’ve learned that art as a whole is a very complex and is such an impressive subject. It can make you smile, it can make you cry, and it can shock you or surprise you. Art, in my opinion, is a beautiful thing, and it can make you think…. A LOT… it’s stimulating.

The one thing I’ve learned is that people have their own opinion about art. I honestly think that the pieces in the art gallery are kind of cool, but at the same time, too much “negative space”, needs more art and less drapery ;).

The one thing that I have learned is that Asian Art is influenced by western arts. Also I learned a little bit of history of Buddhism. About who he was and what he created. The path to enlightenment was a new thing that I also learned.

I learned that artists painted pictures in landscapes and most of the time if the picture is tilted or turned to the side you see a different thing. Also that some artists I think Raphael had hidden meanings in it.

The one thing I learned was the same thing I had learned in High school. This was about the F16 aperture and 1/25-second shutter speed. I felt like I was in high school again, it was nice.

One thing I learned this week was that just because something is art doesn’t mean that you have to like it at all. You can absolutely hate it and think that its not really art and that’s ok.

The one thing I learned this week, was how the first camera’s started. They had a pitch-black tent and cut a hole in one side and the landscape from outside would be projected on the wall and they could trace it. Then they figured out how to put a mirror there and project the image on the table and it was easier that way.

One thing I learned was one of the ways that the average person taught themselves to paint and draw they would set up a grid over what ever they wanted to draw and then they could draw it square by square and it was much easier to make an accurate image.

I learned the tricks of making something that is 2D become 3-d. Color, size, line, perspective, atmospheric and foreshortening are all tricks that can make a picture look 3-D

One thing I learned this week is that the avant-garde started more magazine stuff and Herb Lubalin designed m any different types of forms such as avant-garde.

I learned a little about Greek mythology and how Hector died. I also learned about the beginnings of Buddhism. How at first the prince lived in an area of peace. No wars until they were driven out by the Argons to Deccan. I also learned that the Haniwa from Hotun Period is one of the oldest structures in the world.

I learned about Renaissance & why it ended. It ended when a large group of elite knights charged into Rome destroying everything in their path. They did horrible things to the people like raping nuns & killing the people. After the rest of the world found out what happened in Rome they felt that they no longer had the right to call themselves “the rebirth.” That was the end of the Renaissance.

I learned about the tools that artist can use to fool people into thinking their art is 3D when really its only 2D. One of the tools is call line perspective, this is where you use angles lines to have the picture appear more depth. Colors can also be use to show depth too. Dark colors can push things back while light colors will bring things forward. The last tool was atmosphere perspective, which is like shading only not exactly the same.

I learned about photography: how to switch the buttons to get a better focus. If you want the perfect focus you need F16 Slide speed 1.25,film 1.25. If you put F8 or F4 instead of F16 the wide frame of the picture will set wider the lower the number.

I learn about the painting Raft of the “Medusa.” Its base on true facts when a group of people were traveling to a new world & their boat sank. So they had two boats and one raft. While all the rich were in the boat and the poor colonies were in the raft. So the rich let the raft go by cutting the rope it was attached to. The painting represents the people in the raft struggle.

One thing I learned was that Gainsborough used a classical composition for his portrait of Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan.

I learned that DADA was made up of poets, poster makers and a few artists. They helped break the mold for poster making. The posters were hard to read yet popular.

One thing I learned was that a netsuke is. I didn’t know that people used to wear weights for their money or gold. But I wonder why didn’t they just tie their pouch.

The one thing I learned was what a camera obscura is. I never knew that people used to paint in that way. It was also interesting to realize that’s how the idea of the camera became.

The one thing I learned was that Buddha wasn’t Chinese. He was Indian, a prince, and his name was Siddhartha (spelling?). Also, I learned that that one hand up of Buddha symbolized something. It shows that he has no weapon, like a peaceful gesture.

The one thing I learned about this week was that Da Vinci was more than just a painter. He was a sculpture, a musician and a military weapon maker as well as other great things. He was also one of very few that mastered the aspect of light and shadow.

One thing I learned was that the way we familiarize ourselves with things and remember them is through our “icon maps” or “image libraries” in our minds. I’m guessing that it’s like photographic memory.

One thing that I learned in art class this week, I learned about netsuke. The netsuke were used by Japanese men around their belt loops in order to weigh down their bag of Gold. Some people carved them & painted them for décor.

The one thing I learned this week in art class, what Animorphic art is which is stretched out paintings. Leonardo Davinci starting drawing animorphic art.

One thing I learned this week, that mountain men had lost their jobs because someone came back from China with a silk hat. Basically beaver was not in fashion anymore after the silk hat.

One thing that I learned this week, one thing that grabbed my attention was the lecture about how artist are seen as outsiders, different, and sometimes not excepted.

I learned about how Asian/Chinese paintings were done in ink and they were put on rice paper or silk, hand scrolls & they were very simple that only showed what they wanted to in the picture, but also placed spiritual tranquility in the painting, also how most of their paintings were of nature and the environment. Balance of negative and positive space.

I learned a little bit about the Renaissance period & how in French the renaissance means “rebirth”. The renaissance period was the start of new art different from the previous kinds, like gothic art, roman art & etc. I also learned about the one point perspective and it makes a painting, piece of art seem 3D and make it look like you are in the painting/art.

One thing I learned was how the art, culture & styles of clothes/fashion were influenced by many people of different races/ethnic backgrounds. Also how… I lost my thought…

One thing I learned was how they were little sub groups in each art section (different artists, as well as time periods). Also how many of the types of arts/their names were suppose to be offensive like the impressionists, was suppose to be a slam against them because they were not really artists/painting art but merely impressions of it. Also how they turned it into a positive thing.

The one thing I learned in art this week was that television has no movement. I knew that movies and cartoons had no movement but never knew that about television. When I think about television, sometimes the stuff I watch is live so I always thought someone was just recording it and I was watching it. I never really thought about how it was being projected onto my television.

The one thing that I learned in art this week was that the Renaissance period added a lot of paintings that had linear perspective, which made pictures look like they were 3D or better 2D.

The one thing that I learned in art this week was that DaVinci argued that light entered the eye rather than exited the eye. He discovered this because he was interested in how the eye worked, how we saw things.

The one thing I learned this week was that not all art has to be liked. The art that was in the art gallery was horrible. It was art for many reasons and at first I thought a lot of people must have liked it because it was in the art gallery but I hated it and I realized that I do not have to like all art.

The one thing I learned this week was that in the 19th century a lot of the artists started to step out of the box and create art that a lot of people were not used to. For example, Van Gogh did not sell any of his art in his lifetime.

One thing I learned throughout the semester that I am able to name not one but so many different artists. Before that I didn’t know any.

My second favorite “one thing” is that I am able to recognize the art, now. If I see a piece of use I will take some moments to look at it.

I learned that Asian art was not just focused on positive space but as well as focused on negative space. It also focused on the quality of negative space.

I learned that how real looking paintings were made by using the technique of Camera obscura where the word camera came from.

I learned that during Renaissance period 2-D images were presented as 3-D by using Line perspective, atmosphere, perspective, size (things in the back are smaller & closer to each other), and foreshortening and colors, dark goes back and light comes forward.

Realism, Naturalism, Romanticism, and photography all were seen in neo-classicism period. The idea of Greece and Rome was also seen in Neoclassicism.

In 1900 Psychology started playing a big role in Art. As tools we’re important. Artists started making things of their dream.

Impressionist and there painting are just amazing! They didn’t have to paint much of the detail but had already capture others people attention and thoughts. I really love how they just paint a wonderful moon but the rest are blurry.

One thing that I learned is the three new form of Buddhism. The first one is esoteric Buddhism, the pure land Buddhism, and the Zen. The Zen influenced many aspects of Japanese culture.

Art have so many depth and technology to it. And the shade is what defines an art. Without depth, shape, colors and stuff like that then there’s no great art. Therefore it is very important to learn what to shade is and what not to make art look great.

The one thing I learned is the differences between the 2D and 3D included the color, perspective line, atmosphere, size and foreshortening. The 2D is two dimensional with height and width.

One thing I had learned this week is the discovery of United State. And the history behind it I had never thought of it this way. And also the battle between two countries. The discovery of other stuff that becomes a great past for us today.

One thing I learned this week is know other artists, and about the early photography. They are very classic and nice.

I learned a little about the Gestalt Principles. And that it’s very interesting.

Beaver hats went out of fashion because of silk hats – and left the Mt. people without work.
All of the women paint were treated very unfairly during the sessions because they weren’t men.

I learned that 2D tries to full you by using a certain type of painting tricks with colors, perspective, Atmospheric perspective, size and foreshortening.

My favorite “one thing” that I learned from this semester is how to see a little better. When I first entered the class my vision of art was only as broad as my limited interaction with art was. But how, when I look at different things like paintings and pictures I see them differently. I am more critical and understanding of how difficult creating a piece must be. I enjoy looking at life and art this way. I like that I can see things I didn’t see before be so visible to me now, it makes me wonder why I couldn’t.

My second favorite “one thing” I learned was about art nouveau. I enjoyed how it was organic, yet ornate. I especially enjoyed the slides we saw of the “Job” piece. The flowing lines, the sway and shape to me were so beautiful. The flat dimension of the work seemed so lively and larger than life. I think that is my new favorite movement. I was aware of it before, but I never knew his name.

The one thing I learned in the past week was that Buddha was very much a real person. Like many claim Jesus was, and he taught people not to desire everything once they rid themselves of desire they could reach a peaceful state, or nirvana. His teachings inspired many artists from across the Asian continent. My favorite was the large Buddha sculpted in the rock side of a mountain or hill.

The one thing I learned this past week was that when people started to study and become more curious with science, the quality of their art became very good and complex.

The one thing I learned this past week was about impressionism. Artists created pieces that were associated with a feeling or idea or something someone saw, but not a crystal clear image. What they were trying to show was the world not from a standard point of view. Rather, they wanted to show and evoke thought to people who hadn’t seen things like that before.

I learned about perspective and how it is not so easy to create a 3D image on a flat surface. I can grasp more fully why the artists and their techniques are studied so rigorously – they saw and understood such complex ideas and were able to convey these ideas.

One thing I learned this week is that the Chinese invented paper. But I wonder if their paper was like the paper we have now. And I wonder how they invented it.

This week I learned that the name of sandwich comes from a man whose last name was Sandwich. I always wonder who came up with the name “Sandwich”. I always think about how each thing got its name. And today I learned about the name of sandwich.

My favorite one thing would have to be when I found out who did the white painting. I never knew that Malevich was the artist so it was nice to finally find that out.

My second would have to be when we talked about the camera obscura. I found it interesting how people in the past would go out and trace what they could by doing that. It’s cool to find out also how a camera was sort of invented. If it wasn’t for the camera obscura. Who knows if and when the camera would have been invented.

The one thing I learned from the “altered spaces” is that even though it may be a gallery of installation art, it doesn’t mean that everyone is going to like its art, but it may not be good art to the viewer. I learned that you could dislike or hate art.

This week I had learned about the Asian’s art and the history behind it and what makes it difference from the rest of the painting. Most Asians art focus on the quality more than the quantity. Therefore, it is better painting. In art they thinks that if a paint or a picture that have a donut looking or hexagon looking then it’s no good. While the other look at outside and the surface of the painting.

The one thing I learned this week is that language is the barrier and border that creates countries thus making it evident as to who are outsiders.

The one thing that I like this semester is that we got to use note for are test which help because there are just to many thing that we have to remember if we didn’t get to use the note.

The second one thing is that I have learned some new thing about art which I would of never learned if I didn’t take the class because I didn’t know that art had so many styles that made a difference in art.

The one thing that I have learned is that all art is 2D and artists try to make it look like it is 3d. That television is about the same with little pixels that move quickly.

That artist has to break away from their tradition Rules which made them look near. That to see with eye you have to see the light that is reflected off the object.

The one thing that I have learned is that art doesn’t have to have a background in order to make painting. That art is not only on paper but it is also on wood.

Artist try to make their paint look more like picture. In the paint the artist still used triangle, rectangle & circle.

My favorite thing of this semester was learning to look at art. Looking at art was not something I would normally do but now I find myself spending some time looking at art even if it is just a pause in front of a painting.

My second favorite thing this semester was learning how to look at art. I learned how to better understand the story in a painting. The use of color, the position of people/objects, the negative space, etc. One all things I now know to look for to understand the art.

I learned the great impact roman and Greek art influenced the Renaissance. Roman art styles were seen in a lot of art of the Renaissance. Greek philosophy was being used in the churches.

This week I learned a lot about Troy and the battles fought there. The heroes like Hector and Achilles of the time were very epic. Hearing about these people and their stories has gotten me interested in reading more about them. I’ll probably buy Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey this weekend to learn more.

I learned how artist make a 2D painting appear 3D. They use a mixture of color, perspective atmosphere, size, and foreshortening to create the illusion of depth. Lighter colors look closer than darker colors. Larger looks closer than smaller. These effects help make a painting look 3D.

This week I learned how people’s impression of artists changed over the centuries. In the 1500’s they were treated like celebrities to now where they are treated like people without real jobs.

This week I learned more how cameras work. I didn’t know old cameras took five minutes to get a picture and the smaller the aperture the more is in focus. I was also surprised how clear a lot of the pictures from the past were.

I learned that we really see things upside down but our brain flips the images over for us. That’s really fascinating.

…when we watch TV it is only dots that turn on and off. I always wondered how we were able to get the pictures we see on television. But I also learned animals might not watch/see what we see. I always thought my dog was watching TV with me.

The one thing I learned that I found interesting is how the eye interprets pictures and things like TV, movies, cartoons.

…since the last time I learned about Gestalt principles. These principles allow humans to fill in pictures or connects pictures together. They help provide a full picture to a person. These principles allow humans to watch movies, cartoons, TV, and 3D paintings that are really 2D.

What I’ve learned so far is that TV, cartoons, and movies are all Gestalt principle examples and that TV is just a bunch of dots that turn off and on. It doesn’t have any motion to it…its not 3D stuff but since we fill in the blanks of things we see, we do see it as 3D when it really isn’t.

The one thing I learned is that people need to venture out & see the world instead of being strapped down & sit upright watching images on a screen, being brainwashed.

The one thing I learned is that the Greek language was lost for a time. That they were the first ones to have a college. And that they were among the first to advance as a culture.

…no matter how ugly the weather is, no matter how much stress I’m faced with and no matter how tired I am that there is beauty in the world and art everywhere. For example, at my job in the break room there is a large painting of the words “In it to win it”. It’s down in a graffiti style, so the letters are hard to make out, but they pop out at you. And the words motivate me to get what I need to do done.

The one thing that I learned about was the Indo-Ayran people who came into Europe, India and Italy- their religion was vedic, they came in with horses and invaded the area.

Today’s lecture made me realize just how connected our civilizations were. It amazes me how we basically evolved because we had to figure out how to survive. Everything was connected and art was always a part of it.

…that the “mayor” was to certain tribes or group of people, became the king of their civilization. They were picked to be the leader maybe because of their hunting skills and/or strategies to help their tribe benefit off the land.

I learned how (theoretically) we went from being nomadic to being stationary farmers (thanks to women, I have no doubt) and how that affected the type of art we created.

…that nomads were generally hunter-gatherers. Men were hunters and women were the gatherers
…that at one point in time gatherers were needed more than hunters.

In stone age culture, when agriculture first began and villages were formed, people stored food in one place and developed written language to keep track of their food. It was the first art form.

Cuneiforms are used to document the storage of food during the Stone Age.

People had goats and they used to feed the goats to eat them later. They had men hunting and women gathering. Woman used to hide in the water from anything dangerous. They surrounded their cities with walls to keep the enemy outside their city. They had body art and cave art. They stored their food.

I learned that farmers would have lots of children so that they can keep the farm going.

At one point it became hard to find meat (food) so women developed gathering and maybe developed agriculture. Where they had farms and cities they didn’t have to move, they also had to have army to protect.
I learned that modern civilization began with the protection of agriculture.

…people had children to keep the population growing and their tribes going. They had children to be hunters and gatherers to protect and feed the tribe. It wasn’t just because they loved kids. It was a way for their tribe not to go extinct.

Cuneiform was first used in farming cultures and walled cities to keep track of the food that people find and put in storage, much like a receipt.

That the Sumerians were the first people to come up with some sort of writing to communicate and it was called cuneiform.

The Fertile Crescent was the first farming community. Knowledge of planting of seeds and building of material for the protection of the farming properties.

…that the Roman Empire would put salt on conquered farm land. This was to make sure that the conquered people can’t return to their land and farm. I’ve watched a couple of Roman movies and never seen this. A very interesting strategy.

Women were better at farming, talking, and probably swimming.

…that signatures was done by putting dust in the mouth and blowing like an airbrush.
…that women harvested food and took care of children and have curves because they stayed in the water to hide from predators.

That the atlatl was one of the first tools made to advance hunting. The extended “arm” gave the spear longer range and was more effective.

I learned how important women were to stone age cultures, they not only gathered food, took care of children, protected homes, but thy may have been the first to cultivate seeds and grow food.

I learned about the nomads and how they lived. I found their survival methods interesting and smart.

I learned that everything from the earlier cultures progressed to what we have now because of their purposes and uses. Like why women have more curves, like the nomads getting inspiration to form cities and cities had to have structure and leaders in order to function best.

One thing I learned is that men kept the big ladies around to take care of the kids. Also, the men kept them safe so they won’t be killed, another is that the hunters kept them really fat.

I learned that most if not all nomadic cultures were hunters and gatherers. The men were the hunters and the women were the gatherers and kept the family going. Nomads ate whatever was in their path, and this lead to a slow way of the knowledge of food and survival.

That the Sumerians were the Sag Giga and that they learned in schools called edubas.

It is just an accident that this collection ends here, but it couldn’t end on a better “one thing”.
Thank you, students of Art 116, you’ve taught me well.